Just a-fiddlin' around

Carlson has been playing the fiddle since she was 11-years-old and is a New Hampshire-certified middle school math teacher with 15 years' classroom experience.

She grew up in the foothills of the Berkshires on a small farm in Kent, Conn.

"There wasn't a lot to do," she recounted. "It wasn't as if we had piles of neighbors."

Her very musical family, which includes five siblings, often threw parties and Carlson still can recall her father playing the fiddle for guests.

"Our parents never had to push us. We did it because we wanted to," she said of how she and her siblings ended up playing an instrument.

Carlson taught middle school math in Laconia for four years and another 10 at Sanbornton's Sant Bani School. She holds a master's degree in Education as well as a degree in Business.

"I keep changing what I'm doing to keep myself interested," she said.

Those interests as of late include teaching programs at libraries on the wide variety of fiddling styles and teaching an integrated quilting, math and fiddling history course for elementary school children.

"In both mathematics and music you use every part of your brain. The key thing with music is it just makes things more fun and any time you can connect anything in the brain it's good," she said in explaining how her programs integrate music and math and explore the rich intersections of music and history.

When she's not giving a lesson, performing or teaching a workshop or educational program, Carlson is frequently asked to head to the recording studio, where she especially likes to work with vocalists.

Carlson has performed with the swing trio Sweet, Hot & Sassy, with the award-winning country band the Blue Hill Kickers and with the high-energy acoustic roots band High Range. She also plays for square dances and in bluegrass, old-timey and rock bands.

A member of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts' Artist in Education Program, she said her goal is to inspire people of all ages to enjoy the many facets of fiddling as well as the joys of making music together.

"Two of my students are in their late 60s and connecting them with other people is what you need to do in this day and age with so much technology," she said.

She laughs when she recounts that cell phone technology allowed the wife of one of her students who winters in Florida call her while her husband fiddled in a contest and let Carlson hear the result of her teaching firsthand.

During a Friday performance at the St. Francis Home in Laconia, Carlson played with great joy and demonstrated proficiency across a variety of musical styles, ranging from rock to Civil War-era reels.

About two dozen residents gathered to hear Carlson perform and her upbeat playing prompted hand-clapping, toe tapping and heads bobbing in rhythm.

"My brother used to play the violin, but never like you," a smiling Rachel Gilbert told Carlson.

The musician recounted that her paternal great-grandfather, Carl Carlson, came from Sweden and was an accomplished player of Swedish fiddling music.

Automotive pioneer Henry Ford was interested in preserving fiddle music, Carlson explained, and frequently held contests at his car dealerships. Her great-grandfather was a regular competitor and frequently won.

Today Carlson treasures one of his fiddles, as well as a binder of Swedish fiddle music written out by her great-uncle, Eddie. Carlson also owns and plays a mezzo violin handcrafted by famed violin-making pioneer Carleen Hutchins, who died this past summer at age 98.

"She was an inspiration to me and just did her own thing," said Carlson, who lives in the Lochmere section of Tilton.

Carlson also has fiddled in contests and credits participating in them during her early years with helping her to learn to play in front of an audience, teaching her a variety of songs and allowing her to meet some wonderful people.

The Lakes Region and New Hampshire are hotbeds for talented fiddlers, Carlson said, adding that connecting with people is the most important part of the music-making process.

More information about Carlson's lessons, performances, workshops and educational programs are on the web at www.ellencarlson.com. Contact her via e-mail at ellen@highrangeband.com or call 603-661-1981 or 603-528-1705.

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